


Skittish skates and delicious shakes

by newmannenby



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Comedy, Hermann just needs a good book and milkshake god bless the orney bastard, Jukebox loving, M/M, Me? Posting something new again? What??, Newt and hermann first meet at a 1950s diner where newt works, Newt loves his work skirt, Rated r for delicious milkshakes, The idea really needed at least a oneshot so, canon-typical bickering, i love them a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 23:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15302154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newmannenby/pseuds/newmannenby
Summary: "The day has already started to drag and it's only 11pm. Seven hours until they can shut up shop, and he can take the 57 home and pass out on the couch. Hopefully with some dubiously stolen ice cream (I mean, is it really stolen if you work there and you're just paying the Man anyway?)"Offering an insight into the modern au of where Newt is a stressed out part time waiter and MIT student, with an equally stressed young maths teacher Hermann who really needed a lunch break away from campus.





	Skittish skates and delicious shakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gaybuckybarnes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaybuckybarnes/gifts).



Today has already started to drag and it’s only 11pm. Seven hours until they can finally shut up shop, and he can take the 57 home and pass out on the couch. Hopefully with some dubiously stolen ice cream(I mean,is it _really_ stolen if you work there and you're just paying the big man back anyway?) and a rerun of some classic Star Trek episodes.

 

Newt has a list of what keeps him from making a Jerry MaGuiresque scene everyday within the first hour:

 

1.Tendo- they've been as thick as thieves since their first day of work, and the guy really needs to keep the job and have someone to keep him sane throughout the hours.

 

2.Again-the ice cream is heaven. He doesn’t really want to pay the prices for it, either.

 

3.The music: Newt will listen to anything,especially if it has dulcet crooning tones and a banging bass, and the usual playlist in between the requested jukebox songs just has him on Cloud Nine.

 

4.Money: PhD Number 2 is due in two months and he’s damn sure they'll be another one soon after. They're practically sucking all the money out of him, with the infinite textbooks and student accommodation fees and Bank Uncle Illia and Dad are close to lock down (“Look, I know this is like the fourth time I've tried calling, but it would really help me out if you could send like $100? I’ll pay back 15% interest within the next three months, and I'll wash the dishes everyday when I’m back in the summer:deal?”). Plus, hes been obsessively sketching the snapshots and broken images of the kaiju he keeps seeing,haunting his dreams, and has been warming up to the idea of wearing them on his skin.

 

 

He’s not even sure why the place decided to stay open.Surely they knew that the giant fucking concert happening 20 blocks away would leave the place completely desolate of any human interaction? But the boss’ ego just takes centre stage, leading him into forcing his only employees that were unfortunate enough to miss out on it to stay behind and clean every tabletop, polish the countertops and serviette dispensers, and try and fix the ancient jukebox. 

 

They're currently midway through task number three by this point, Tendo fearing for Newt’s life as he messes with the wiring at  the back of it.

 

“Look,we can just call an electrician and have it fixed. There's no need for you to be donating an arm and a leg in service to that jerkwad.”

 

Newt fiddles with the green wire that’s currently sparking and hissing.

 

“Do you really think any technician nowadays is going to know what to do with this? They’ll look at it for about a minute, declare a natural and peaceful death, and probably pay us to get it off our hands just to sell the faulty wires on Ebay.”

 

“... And that’s a bad thing?”

 

Newt sighs and looks to Tendo,” Yes, it is dude.And would you please hand me those pliers? Trust me- I know what I’m doing.”

 

 

_Ting-a-ling_

 

 

The front door slams suddenly and a man in a cardigan and blazer (obviously he didn't get the memo this morning about the 79°F heatwave) shuffles in and plants himself at the booth nearest to the door, putting in some earphones and grabbing a book from his messenger bag. Newt is still too busy tinkering with the machine to give a shit about serving whoever they are, so Tendo skates up to the guy and leans over, pen and pad in hand.

 

“Welcome to Roller Express sir, would you like to order anything?”

 

The man startles, and pulls an earbud out.

 

“Oh, just an orange juice, and a-uhm-straw,if you could,” his eyes dart around the room, suddenly realizing how empty the place is.

 

“You don’t want anything else with that?”

 

“I’m sure about that, thank you,” his face deadpan, tone tinged with sarcasm, and returns back to his book.

 

Tendo skates back to Newt and groans.

 

“God the only guy to come in today and he’s a total asshole. Hopefully he finishes his drink soon.We never get anyone hot in here, I swear to-”

 

Music begins to blare from the system, an old worn out vinyl of “Walk Like A Man” by The Four Seasons cutting Tendo’s rant.

 

“It fucking works!” Newt exclaims and gets on his feet, grasping Tendo by the shoulders.

 

“Congrats dude! I knew you had two PhDs for a reason,”Tendo chuckles and pulls him into a hug and a pat on the back.

 

“Now, if you could go and serve that sourpuss over there a cold orange juice with a straw, that’d be great.”

 

Newt looks over at the man huddled away in the corner of the booth, his left leg laid across the seat and back against the wall. He lazily flips the pages of the book, not really paying much attention to whatever it was about. Despite how casual he looked, his jaw was clenched tight, and Newt could swear he could see a vein ready to burst on the left hand side of his forehead.

 

“Sure, _orr_ I could make him one of my specials,” Newt winks at his bow-tied friend, and glides behind the counter.

 

He checks behind the staff room, just in case the Big Boss is inside, but he comes to the conclusion that he’s probably on his zillionth self-gifted cigarette break. 

 

Clapping his hands together in joy, he proceeds to compile every ice cream milkshake ingredient onto the counter, while nodding his head and humming along to the music. So, the guy did want something orange-flavoured so the best viable options were the Terry’s Chocolate Orange pieces, candied oranges, hot fudge blended with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top. And of course, a shit load of edible gold glitter and sprinkles.

 

Placing a glazed cherry on top,Newt admires his masterpiece, before making his way over with it.

 

Keep in mind that Newt is a brilliant skater. During his first years in MIT, he joined the school’s roller derby flat track team, just so he could get the hang of it and not fall on his ass. He even helped them win a few tournaments, until he had to drop it to allow for more study time.So, when he started getting closer and closer, the view of this distant man who he thought originally was at _least_ in his 50s turns out to be around Newt’s age and is _oddly, unconventionally_ and _downright_ attractive, you can’t really blame his expertise when his knees start to go weak and he collides with the back of the booth.

Thankfully, the drink doesn’t spill during the incident and Newt pulls himself forward to the end of the table.

 

“First day on the job, by any chance?” 

 

His full attention is now turned towards Newt, book down, as he looks at him over circular silver framed glasses.

 

 _God, he really is a dick_ , Newt curses to himself, face already flaring red with embarrassment.

 

“And what do you have there? Surely, that isn’t for me: I ordered an orange juice, not a glucose overdose.”

 

“First off, _Sir_ -”

 

“ _Doctor_ ,actually.”

 

“Wonderful! That makes two of us! First off,Doctor, I could see you were looking pretty stressed out over here, so I thought that this little treat, that I originally was going to give you for free but I’m not so sure about that right now, would maybe cheer up your tweed adorned ass. Obviously I was wrong but whatever.And yeah, it super sugary and is probably not the best for your health, but maybe you could just live a little, man? It’s still got some form of oranges in it, and if you're not going to drink it, I sure as hell will.”

 

Hermann eyes him slowly, noticing the sweat and stains in his white work shirt; large slightly askew glasses steaming with his hot breath panting as he recollects himself; pleated knee length scarlett skirt floating gently from the AC.

 

“You know what, I really don’t have the time for this-” the customer grabs the dessert and takes the curly straw to his lips. He gulps down about a sixth of the litre milkshake before he releases the straw and closes his eyes, head buzzing and tingling.

 

“It’s… substantial.”

 

“Well,your face is telling me one thing and you’re saying something different, so I’m just going to assume you’re a stubborn bitch who isn’t going to admit it. You’re welcome, by the way,” Newt gives him a sly grin and a wink before skating away elegantly, leaving the poor guy baffled and tempted to shout for him to come back.

 

“That looked… interesting.”

 

“You’re right: he’s a complete asshole. I should’ve just gave him the goddamn orange juice.”

 

“I dunno, he seems pretty happy with it. Kinda looks like he wants you to share it with him,” Tendo raises his eyebrows,” or maybe throw it at you. It’s quite an interesting dynamic you got going there.”

 

“Let’s just pray he doesn’t come here again,” Newt says, looking over his shoulder to see him solely focused on slurping down the milkshake, while eyeing his book held open in one hand.

 

Newt and Tendo continue about their business, now having to scrape the chewing gum from under the tables and babbling away with some music appreciation intervals. They almost miss the clack of a cane and the sound of the door bell.

 

Newt slides himself out from underneath and skates to the now empty table. Believe it or not, he actually left the exact amount for an orange juice (and a ten percent tip) on top of a serviette with some writing on. Pocketing the tip, Newt reads the note:

 

Newton (or, at least that what I think I read on your name badge),

I apologize if my reaction seemed brutish towards you. You were right: I’ve been having an unimaginably stressful day and I shouldn’t have took that out on you, or your fellow employee. Thank you for the milkshake.

-Dr. Gottlieb

 

Newt’s face forms into a smile, and he looks outside the diner’s windows.

 

 _Godspeed, you ornery bastard_.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> For all of you on Tumblr who liked the au and especially @aito-mation for drawing that sick fan art of my idea!! And if you liked it, please leave a kudos and comment below- thanks!


End file.
